The number-1 Mets fan is confused:
The issue, to me, is: how does acquiring Matthews fit in to the overall plan to be better? Actually, come to think of it, what is the overall plan to be better?
The post is a great opinion piece by Matt Cerrone and asks a lot of good questions in search of some answers. He also stumbles upon a point that I've been trying to get out of my brain, but haven't quite figured out how to put it on paper; this same idea is essentially my opinion regarding the acquisition of another outfielder for the Braves:
And so, moves like acquiring Matthews, though perhaps fine as a single transaction, still seem off message and out of step from what management claims to want, and from what the fans want, meaning the Mets come across as seeming confused, as if they’re just making random moves for the sake of filling roster spots.
Yes, Johnny Damon or someone else may be a slight upgrade in some aspects, but it's not an impact move, it's more of a move for the sake of shutting everyone up who is complaining that the team is not making enough moves. Damon also weakens our outfield defense, and only really adds situational speed, not "run anytime" speed like he once had. Anyway... /soapbox /dead-horse
0 recs | 18 comments
I agree 100 percent. We have bettered ourselves as a club. Your throwing away money to get another outfielder. Melky will be the fourth outfielder because either Schafer or Heyward will be in the starting outfield, depending on who has the better spring. Even if both fall flat on their asses we still have Henske to fill in. I think FW has filled in all the blanks. Is it perfect? no! But with that said we are a much better team than last year, and I believe we made a strong run at the playoffs in 2009. Lets see what happens going into spring training. I think we have a much stronger team than a lot of the fans think we do. Go Braves!!
one woody - January 22, 2010
Come on, now...
Do you really want Eric Hinske starting on an everyday basis, even for a few months?
MichaelProcton - January 25, 2010
Agree
Just read the “fan shot” about Schafer starting to hit. The last thing we need is another old outfielder. We are already going to have a log jam in the outfield by mid-summer. I voted 8 on the confidense poll earlier today, I might have gone 9 if I had read that earlier. Eventually being free to trade McLouth, Cabrera or Diaz will save the team some money and hopefully bring some infield prospect help.
bighop - January 22, 2010
So what are Glaus, Wagner and Saito?
Instead of getting one difference maker, we got pieces to fill out the roster. I see the Mathews Jr./Damon parallels, and agree with the argument. But to ignore the Braves habit of doing the same thing is disingenuous.
freekhalidelamin - January 22, 2010
I see Wagner/Saito as very different acquisitions. These are pieces the Braves wanted, and they didn’t waste any time going after them. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Wagner is the best closer in the game not named Mariano Rivera. Obviously, when healthy, but my belief (like the Braves) is that he proved he was healthy last year. Saito is a proven closer and setup man, and the Braves thought they were going to get radically priced out of Soriano and Gonzalez, so they rebuilt the back of the pen. I like those moves. Gonzo and Soriano were wildly inconsistent last season, that needed to change.
I also really, really like the Glaus move. If you looked at middle of the order difference makers on the free agent market this off-season, there really weren’t but two or three. I’d even argue that Bay and Holliday aren’t the kind of difference makers that they’re being paid to be. Glaus is right there behind them, as probably the third-best middle of the order option (when healthy) this off-season. Yes, health is a concern, but to get a batter with the potential like he had, you take the chance. They went hard after him too, he was not a fill-in-the-blank signing.
To me, Damon is lot like settling for Anderson last year.
gondeee - January 22, 2010
I disagree with both freekhalidelamin and gondee on different points
I think Glaus, Wagner and Saito are much better upside roster filing pieces than Mathews Jr. and say Jose Contreras. (It was a good day for the Braves and we didn’t do anything!). They could work, they might not, but there is definite upside potential for all three that is lacking for Mathews and Contreras. So I have to disagree with freekhalidelamin.
I don’t want to see us sign Damon given the outfielders we have. On the other hand, Damon has far more left in the tank than Garrett Anderson did. His fielding may be as bad in 2010 as Garrett Anderson was in 2009, but his bat should still be better. Still not enough to make me want us to sign him—-I don’t think he’ll be as good as Diaz and we only need one left fielder. And playing either of those two in right field would be not so good.
cavebird - January 22, 2010
How the hell is there no upside for Matthews?
One bad season doesn’t define your skillset, particularly given he’s not particularly old or injured.
MichaelProcton - January 25, 2010
Upside and Matthews Jr. are perfect oxymorons
You are right, one bad season doesn’t define a skill-set. However, 9 times in 10 seasons is pretty sure fire indicator. Not to mention 35 year old’s usually aren’t considered good bets for improvement.
scstrato - January 25, 2010
If healthy,...
those three make a big difference.
Mr. Sanchez - January 23, 2010
i'd take Damon
For 5 million or less . He be an upgrade at leadoff and we could always take him out later in the game for defensive reasons
~~banditwolf~~ - January 23, 2010
But where does he play in the field?
If Damon is in left (his only defense position), Diaz is forced to the bench unless we want to trot out an OF of Damon, McLouth, Diaz, and that OF defense is miserable. I guess I don’t see Damon as an upgrade on Diaz, which makes him relatively useless for us.
cavebird - January 23, 2010
Diaz is no worse in right than left.
MichaelProcton - January 25, 2010
flip flopping on Damon
If you would have told me back in December that Damon would have been an option for around 7 million (or less), I would have laughed. I also would have said that would be a price worth paying. Now though, I think we have enough interchangable pieces to wait on Heyward or spell Diaz or both. And none of that takes into account what Schaefer has to offer.
I think a lot of Braves fans fall into two categories:
1 – scared of “rushing” Heyward because of last year’s experience with Schaefer.
2 – scared of pursuing an aging veteran (ie Damon) because of last year’s debacle with Anderson.
Now, the two are not mutually exclusive and hopefully DOB’s interview with Schaefer will dispell fears some have about Heyward…though some will still harp on it.
hollerin' brave - January 23, 2010 via mobile
While I agree to an extent that Damon could very well be overkill at this point in terms of our OF, it’s incredibly ridiculous to compare him to Gary Matthews Jr and Garret Anderson. The last two are just awful players at this point in time and actually hurt your club, we woud have been far better off with Brandon Jones/Matt Diaz in LF last year. Damon on the other hand is an above average contributor whose defense in LF cannot be called a negative for certain as many bashing the potential signing have done. He was bad there last season but in the two partial seasons before that he was outstanding, truth is he’s probably somewhere in between (average). Signing Damon doesn’t block Heyward by any means as we will make room for him and if Schafer lights AAA on fire in the first half of the season the Braves will find at bats for him even if that means moving Damon/McLouth to the bench for a few games. Either way I think we’re fine in the OF, Damon isn’t going to make us elite out there but he’s also not going to weaken us as some would lead you to believe. Whatever Wren decideds, Im good with
McCann's the Man - January 23, 2010
We would certainly not have been better with Jones instead of Anderson.
There’s negative value, and there’s negative value in AAA!
MichaelProcton - January 25, 2010
I still just wanna know...
When Pitchers and Catchers report to Port St. Lucie to begin the Mets spring training, are Johann Santana and John Maine gonna be throwing only to each other?
carpengui - January 23, 2010
Pelfrey is better than Maine but I get what you’re saying. I think they’re bound to rebound somewhat but given their inability to land a Marquis or Pineiro and “brilliant” decision to bring in GMJ there’s no way I can see this team competing for the WC. We’re talking about Santos catching, Murphy at first, Castillo at 2B, GMJ getting a good number of at bats, and Francoeur in RF right now. And that’s ignoring their lack of depth in both the rotation and bullpen
McCann's the Man - January 23, 2010
Diaz is going to have a breakout year and will surpass anything Damon could do for the Braves, Just my opinion.
jimmontg - January 23, 2010
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